The invention pertains to ambient condition detectors. More particularly, the invention pertains to gas detectors alone or in combination with other types of detectors.
Ambient condition detectors are known and are useful devices in providing a warning of a dangerous ambient condition. Representative ambient conditions include smoke, fire, heat or temperature, and gas such as carbon monoxide.
With respect to gas detectors, a variety of different types of gas sensors are known. Some of these are solid state devices, others are electrochemical devices. Another class includes biomimetic-type materials of a type disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,063,164.
Materials of the above-noted type change opacity in the presence of a selected gas such as carbon monoxide. Sensors which incorporate such materials can be used to detect the presence of carbon monoxide in a region being supervised wherein the gas is present at levels and for time intervals long enough to be dangerous.
Such material perform best when installed if care is taken during manufacturer to insure that the gas sensitive materials are not exposed prematurely to either the gas or other contaminants. There thus is a need in such sensors for seals which are effective to prevent premature exposure of the material to the ambient atmosphere.
A sealed ambient condition detector incorporates a housing with an internal region. Within the housing is carried a sealed, removable gas sensing element. The gas sensing element is sealed from the ambient atmosphere until the detector is ready for use.
The gas sensing element in one aspect can be covered with a removable planar sealing member. Additionally, apertures provided on the housing for electrical connections to and from the gas sensing element can be sealed by means of a plastic, rubberized or elasto-metric sealing material in the form of a gasket.
Numerous other advantages and features of the present invention will become readily apparent from the following detailed description of the invention and the embodiments thereof, from the claims and from the accompanying drawings.